Phlox plant named ‘Fashionably Early Princess’

ABSTRACT

A new and unique cultivar of garden  phlox  named  Phlox  ‘Fashionably Early Princess’ multi-stemmed, dense, slowly-spreading habit with bright-green, glossy, thick-substance, lanceolate leaves. Flowers are sweetly-fragrant, light fuchsia-pink, in many-flowered corymbs beginning very early in early June, continuing for about five weeks and repeating through mid-fall or frost. Foliage stays clean and resists mildew.

Botanical classification: Phlox hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Fashionably Early Princess’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phloxplant, known as Phlox ‘Fashionably Early Princess’ and will be referredto hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Fashionably Early Princess’, or the“new plant”. The new plant was the result of a single seedling selectionfrom the cross of Phlox maculata ‘Alpha’ (not patented) times Phlox‘Amethyst Pearl’ U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/330,047performed at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. on Jun. 13,2012. The new plant was originally given the breeder code 12-11-99 afterpassing the initial evaluation in the summer of 2013. ‘Fashionably EarlyPrincess’ has been asexually propagated by stem cuttings in thegreenhouses at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The uniquecharacteristics of the new plant have been found to be reproducible andstable in successive generations of asexually propagated plants, and theresultant plants have been found to be identical to the originalselection.

No plants of Phlox ‘Fashionably Early Princess’ have been sold, in thiscountry or anywhere in the world, prior to the filing of thisapplication, nor has any disclosure of the new plant been made prior tothe filing of this application with the exception of that which may havebeen disclosed within one year of the filing date of this applicationand was either derived directly or indirectly from the inventor.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PLANT

Phlox ‘Fashionably Early Princess’ is unique from its parents and allother tall garden phlox or other Phlox known to the inventor. The newplant differs from the female parent Phlox ‘Alpha’ by having lightfuchsia pink flowers with a dark pink eye compared to the white flowersof ‘Alpha’. Compared to the male parent ‘Amethyst Pearl’, the new planthas flowers of a more reddish hue rather than the flowers of ‘AmethystPearl’ with a more purple hue. The nearest comparison variety is theco-pending ‘Fashionably Early Flamingo’ U.S. Plant patent applicationSer, No. 15/530,085, which has a deeper reddish flower, fewer flowersper corymb but more branched and denser corymbs. Compared to co-pending‘Fashionably Early Crystal’, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.15/530,082, ‘Fashionably Early Flamingo’ and ‘Fashionably Early LavenderIce’ U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 15/530,084, the new plantbegins flowering about one week earlier. ‘Fashionably Early Princess’differs from all other phlox known to the inventor in the followingrepeatedly observed traits in combination:

-   -   1. Plants of compact habit, slowly spreading by short rhizomes,        producing clean, glossy, bright-green, lanceolate leaves.    -   2. Foliage thicker substance than Phlox paniculata types showing        exceptional powdery mildew resistance.    -   3. Multiple stems produce elliptic heads of many flowers very        early in the season.    -   4. Sweetly fragrant flowers of light fuchsia-pink on strong        flexible stems of about 70 to 80 cm tall.    -   5. Excellent re-blooming through mid-fall when deadheaded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The photographs of the new plant demonstrate the unique traits of‘Fashionably Early Princess’ and the overall appearance of the plant attwo-years old. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible withcolor reproductions. Variation in ambient light spectrum, source anddirection may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the floriferous flower head with flowers andbuds.

FIG. 2 shows the new plant in flower in the landscape with late springto early summer foliage.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2001edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except wherecommon dictionary terms are used. Phlox ‘Fashionably Early Princess’ hasnot been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype mayvary slightly with different growing environments such as temperature,light, fertility, soil pH, moisture and maturity levels, but without anychange in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptionsare based on two-year-old plants in the full sun trial garden of awholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with supplementalfertilizer and water as needed.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox hybrid.-   Parentage: Female or seed parent Phlox maculata ‘Alpha’; male or    pollen parent Phlox ‘Amethyst Pearl’.-   Plant habit: Hardy herbaceous perennial, densely upright, producing    about 25 rigid upright stems; about 70 to 80 cm tall at flowering    and about 68.0 cm wide at flowers; flowering begins late spring in    Michigan and continuing for about 5 weeks and repeating through    mid-fall and until heavy frost if deadheaded.-   Propagation: Stem cuttings; rooting in about 14 days.-   Time to produce finished crop in 3.8 liter pots: About 8 to 10    weeks; moderate rate of growth.-   Root: Primary roots to about 1.0 mm thick; secondary fibrous and    freely branching; color creamy white to tan depending on soil type    glabrous abaxial; puberulent near adaxial vein.-   Leaf: Opposite, lanceolate; glabrous abaxial, puberulent near vein    adaxial; lustrous adaxial, matte abaxial; acute apex, rounded base;    to about 15.5 cm long by about 1.9 cm wide, average about 12.5 cm    long by about 18.0 mm wide.-   Leaf color at flowering: Abaxial between RHS 146B and RHS 146C;    adaxial nearest 141A.-   Foliage fragrance: None detected.-   Veins: Reticulate; glabrous abaxial, puberulent adaxial; mid-vein    about 1.0 mm wide at base, slightly sunken adaxial and costate    abaxial.-   Vein color: Abaxial midrib nearest RHS 146A, adaxial midrib between    RHS N144A and RHS 146D; other adaxial and abaxial veins same color    as surrounding tissue.-   Petiole: Short, about 2.0 mm long and 4.0 mm across.-   Petiole color: Nearest RHS 146A abaxial and between RHS N144A and    RHS 146D adaxial.-   Stems: Terete; stiff; strong; upright; sparsely puberulent; average    about 68.0 cm long and 4.5 mm diameter at base.-   Stem color: Nearest RHS 145A with light speckling of nearest RHS    187B on sun exposed portion.-   Nodes: About 10 per stem below flowers; average internode length    about 6.8 cm; shorter proximally and longer distally.-   Node color: Nearest RHS 145A.-   Flowers: Perfect; rotate, salverform, actinomorphic; typically with    five petals; about 2.9 cm long total, with tube about 2.8 cm long    and 2.5 mm diameter before face and 2.0 mm diameter at base; face    about 3.1 cm across; held in a branched compound corymb of about 190    to 270 flowers; attitude upright to outward.-   Flower longevity: About 5 days on plant or as cut flower;    self-cleaning.-   Flower flagrance: Pleasantly sweet.-   Buds one to two days prior to opening: Narrowly oblanceolate, to    nearly clavate; acute apex with petals twisted about each other;    about 2.3 cm long and 2.5 mm diameter in tube and swollen to 4.0 mm    diameter toward apex.-   Bud color: Tube base nearest 145C, tube center nearest RHS 145C;    swollen apex nearest RHS N87B and bulb base nearest RHS N87D.-   Petals: Five, glabrous except pubescent for about 4.0 mm to 6.5 mm    from base of adaxial tube; margin entire; apex rounded; basal 2.9 cm    fused into tube; face to about 1.5 cm across; adaxial about 10.0 mm    of tube throat, rounded limbs with rounded apex; limbs about 1.4 cm    across, imbricate about 3.5 mm of the petals to either side.-   Young petal color: Abaxial tube base nearest RHS 150D, abaxial tube    middle nearest RHS 84C, abaxial face lighter than RHS N82D, abaxial    face perimeter nearest RHS N81C, surrounding throat nearest RHS 76A;    adaxial face nearest RHS N80B, throat radiating star lighter than    RHS 84D with gradual lightening toward margin, tube base nearest RHS    150D, tube middle nearest RHS 84C.-   Mature petal color: Abaxial tube nearest RHS 84B, abaxial face    nearest RHS 84C; adaxial tube nearest RHS 150D at base and RHS 84B    in middle, adaxial face nearest RHS 84D with center portions of    petal covered by other imbricate petals blend of RHS N74B and RHS    N78B.-   Androecium: Typically five.    -   -   Filaments.—Five, fused to inner petals except free in            terminal 1.0 mm; varying lengths between 15.0 mm and 20.0 mm            above base, less than 0.2 mm in diameter; color white,            lighter than RHS 155D.        -   Anther.—Five; oblong elliptic; semi-basifixed; longitudinal;            joined at different heights about 2.0 mm, 2.3 mm and 2.5 mm            above base; about 3.0 mm long by 1.0 mm wide; color nearest            RHS 13B.        -   Pollen.—Nearly microscopic; abundant; spherical; color            nearest RHS 17B.-   Gynoecium: One pistil per flower.    -   -   Style.—Terete; about 2.2 cm long and 0.3 mm diameter when            flower is mature; color nearest RHS 145C.        -   Stigma.—Trifurcate in the distal 2 mm, less than 0.25 mm in            diameter; persistent after flower abscission; nearest RHS            6B.        -   Ovary.—Superior; elliptic with slight acute apex; about 2.0            mm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 145A.-   Sepals: Five, glabrous; lanceolate; sharply acute apex, margin    entire; individually about 10.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide; fused in    basal 7.0 mm forming tube 2.5 mm diameter at base and 3.5 mm    diameter at apex.-   Sepal color: Abaxial apical 0.5 mm nearest RHS 187A, midsection    nearest RHS 138B to RHS N186C in high light exposure, margins (about    0.5 mm wide) translucent with some pigment nearest RHS 187D; adaxial    apex nearest RHS 187A, center nearest RHS 138B with slight blush    tinting nearest RHS 187B, margins (about 0.5 mm wide) translucent    with some blush nearest RHS 187D.-   Peduncle: Puberulent, stiff, strong, upright, terete; about 4.0 mm    diameter at base of main flower stem and 2.0 mm diameter of    branches; flowering portion ellipsoidal, about 10.0 cm long with    flowers spreading 8.0 cm across the inflorescence.-   Peduncle color: Between RHS 145A and RHS 146D with heavy speckling    nearest RHS 187B on areas of heavy sun exposure.-   Fruit and seed have not yet been observed.-   Hardiness and culture: The new plant grows best with plenty of    moisture and adequate drainage; hardy to at least from USDA zone 4    through 8.-   Disease and pest resistance: Phlox ‘Fashionably Early Princess’    demonstrated the excellent powdery mildew resistance under    conditions that would normally show symptoms.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of hybrid phlox plant named Phlox ‘Fashionably Early Princess’, as herein described and illustrated. 